All traditions
2,291 traditions so far, best known first. 12,317 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and meal.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, Indonesia and 4 moreKebayaꦏꦼꦧꦪ
A front-opening blouse and wrapped cloth, worn by women across Southeast AsiaDress
🇮🇩 Palembang, Indonesia and 3 moreSongketᬲᭀᬂᬓᬾᬢ᭄
A hand-woven cloth threaded with gold or silver, worn at weddings and royal courtsDress
🇮🇩 Uluwatu, IndonesiaKecakᬓᬾᬘᬓ᭄ (Balinese), Tari Kecak (Indonesian)
A circle of men chanting chak as they dance the Ramayana epic in BaliPerformance
🇵🇭 PhilippinesFilipino wedding customsKasalan
A blend of indigenous rituals and Christian traditions marking the union of two families in the Philippines.Rite of passage
🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking
The custom of using a trusted intermediary to introduce partners for marriageRite of passage
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreFirst Communion
A Christian rite of passage marking a person's initial reception of the Eucharist.Rite of passage
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaIndependence DayHari Merdeka
Malaysia's national day, marking the end of British rule on 31 August 1957Ceremony
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh, Cambodia and 3 moreBokatorល្បុក្កតោ (lbŏkkâtaô)
Cambodia's battlefield martial art of strikes, locks and weapons, now a ring sportGame
🇵🇭 Kawit, PhilippinesIndependence DayAraw ng Kasarinlán
The Philippines' national day, marked each 12 June with flags and paradesCeremony
🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreVessantara JatakaVessantara Jātaka
A Buddhist festival celebrating the last life of the Buddha as a generous prince.Festival
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamReunification DayNgày Thống nhất
A public holiday in Vietnam on 30 April, marking the war's end in 1975Ceremony
🇮🇩 Jakarta, IndonesiaIndonesian Independence DayHari Ulang Tahun Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia
Indonesia's national day, marking the 1945 proclamation of independenceCeremony
🇮🇩 Pariaman, IndonesiaTabuik
A Muharram mourning rite in Pariaman, Sumatra, ending with a bier carried into the seaSpiritual
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSongkranสงกรานต์
The Thai solar New Year marked by temple rites, elder blessings and water throwingSeasonal
🇻🇳 Hanoi, VietnamNational DayNgày Quốc khánh
Vietnam's national day, marking the 1945 independence declaration read in HanoiCeremony
🇹🇭 Lopburi, ThailandMonkey Buffet Festival
A yearly feast of fruit and vegetables set out for Lopburi's macaquesFestival
🇹🇭 Dan Sai, ThailandPhi Ta Khonผีตาโขน
A three-day festival in Dan Sai, north-east Thailand, of ghost masks and merit-makingFestival
🇲🇾 Malacca, Malaysia and 4 moreSampingسمڤيڠ
A traditional Malay waist cloth worn over festive attire in Southeast AsiaDress
🇵🇭 Bulacan, PhilippinesLuksong baka
A traditional Filipino jumping game where players leap over a kneeling partner without touching them.Game
🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 moreMass of the Lord's Supper
An evening liturgy marking the start of the Easter Triduum and recalling Jesus' final meal with his followers.Spiritual
🇹🇭 Phrae, ThailandMo homหม้อห้อม
A northern Thai shirt and cloth, dyed deep blue-black with the hom plantDress
🇰🇭 Longvek, Cambodia and 2 moreKhmer traditional clothing
How Khmer people dress: the wrapped sampot, the embroidered sbai, the checkered kramaDress
🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarAtar-ohအတာအိုး
A terracotta vessel prepared for the Myanmar New Year to welcome celestial blessings and purify the home.Festival
🇱🇦 Vientiane, LaosBoun Suang Hueaບຸນຊ່ວງເຮືອ
A Lao festival of riverboat races and floating offerings at the close of Buddhist LentFestival
🇰🇭 CambodiaAv pakអាវប៉ាក់
A Cambodian women's shirt in silk or cotton, embroidered or laced, for festivalsDress
🇵🇭 PhilippinesTapis
A hand-woven wrap skirt from the Philippines, fastened at the waist with a sashDress
🇻🇳 VietnamSpace of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of VietnamKhông gian văn hóa Cồng Chiêng Tây Nguyên
Gong sets of Vietnam's Central Highlands, played for festivals and spiritsPerformance
🇵🇭 PhilippinesBuklog
A thanksgiving ritual of the Subanen people in the Philippines, honoring spirits through offerings and dance.Spiritual
🇮🇩 IndonesiaRampokan
A Javanese rite of the closing days of Ramadan, with lancers ringed around big catsSpiritual
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreMalam Tujuh Likurمالم توجوه ليكور
The Malay custom of lighting oil lamps during the closing nights of Ramadan.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇲🇲 Amarapura, MyanmarAcheikအချိတ်
A Burmese silk weave of waves and stripes, made with up to 200 shuttlesDress
🇵🇭 Hungduan, PhilippinesPunnuk
A tug of war in a river at harvest's end, kept by Tuwali-speaking villages in IfugaoGame
🇸🇬 Singapore, SingaporeSingapore International Festival of Arts
A month of theatre, dance, music and visual art in Singapore each mid-yearPerformance
🇵🇭 PhilippinesBinirayan Festival
An annual December cultural festival in Antique celebrating Panay's Malay settlementFestival
🇮🇩 IndonesiaBatik kawung
An old Indonesian batik pattern of four neat ovals, read as fruit or lotusCraft
🇵🇭 PhilippinesHarana
A Filipino serenade where a suitor sings beneath his beloved's window at nightPerformance
🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreMenoraมโนราห์
A traditional Thai dance drama from the south, featuring acrobatics and sacred rituals.Performance
🇵🇭 PhilippinesBali-og
Layered necklaces and fringed collars from the Visayas and MindanaoDress
🇵🇭 PhilippinesPatadyong
A traditional Philippine wrap skirt and versatile woven cloth from the VisayasDress
🇹🇭 ThailandKhruiครุย
A sheer ceremonial robe worn by Thai royalty and now as academic dress at universities.Dress
🇻🇳 VietnamÁo gấm
A brocade tunic worn by Vietnamese men at ceremonies and festivalsDress
🇸🇬 Singapore and 2 moreAldersgate Day
A Methodist observance on 24 May marking the spiritual turning point of John Wesley.Festival
🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding
A multi-stage marriage ritual of the Brunei Malay community, blending Islamic vows with traditional blessings and publicRite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇩 IndonesiaNgerorod
A Balinese Hindu way of marrying, where a couple wed by their own choiceRite of passage
🇻🇳 VietnamVietnamese zodiacMười hai con giáp
A twelve-year cycle of animal years, kept in Vietnam on the lunar calendarFolklore
🇻🇳 Tuyên Quang, VietnamCây nêuCây nêu (Chữ Nôm: 核標)
A bamboo pole raised in Vietnam to mark the New Year and protect homes from bad spirits.Festival
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNational costume of IndonesiaPakaian Nasional Indonesia
The formal attire worn by Indonesians to represent the nation's diverse cultural heritage.Dress
🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaPadusan
A Javanese purification bath kept by the Abangan community before Ramadan begins.Spiritual
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Mo hom: Hanumann, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mass of the Lord's Supper: Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, source
- Padusan: Muhammad Khafidz Riza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National costume of Indonesia: President of Indonesia, Public domain, source
- Cây nêu: vi:Phạm Xuân Nguyên, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vietnamese zodiac: Unknown (traditional painting dated back to the 17th century), Public domain, source
- Independence Day: Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Áo gấm: White House photo by Eric Draper, Public domain, source
- Reunification Day: HappyMidnight, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Indonesian Independence Day: Betari Ratih, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tabuik: en:User:Brakatop upload to commons by Ladsgroup, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Punnuk: Bernardguerrero, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Monkey Buffet Festival: Mr.Peerapong Prasutr, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Phi Ta Khon: E.D.W., Public domain, source
- Singapore International Festival of Arts: Waycool27 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Binirayan Festival: Ranieljosecastaneda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Batik kawung: Alteaven, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Matchmaking: Pavel Fedotov, Public domain, source
- Vessantara Jataka: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Songkran: Khunmoohan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bokator: Gary Todd, CC0, source
- Samping: Gryffindor, Public domain, source
- Luksong baka: Free2barredo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Harana: Markytour777, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Menora: AjarnRichard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bali-og: Patrick Poculan, CC BY 2.0, source
- Patadyong: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Khrui: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Aldersgate Day: Man vyi, Public domain, source
- Independence Day: amrufm, CC BY 2.0, source
- National Day: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- First Communion: Fortepan adományozó URBÁN TAMÁS, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Atar-oh: Maung Sun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Boun Suang Huea: ClaireM1FLERéunion, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kebaya: Simon_sees, CC BY 2.0, source
- Songket: Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
- Acheik: Chenzeyan29, CC0, source
- Khmer traditional clothing: Engsamnang, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Av pak: Puppetcreator, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tapis: Hiart, CC0, source
- Kecak: Rollan Budi, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Filipino wedding customs: John Ryan Cordova, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rampokan: Elite Atelier H.G. Rimestadt (Fotograaf/photographer)., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Malam Tujuh Likur: Qatrunan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam: Đỗ Tuấn Hưng, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Buklog: Theglennpalacio, CC BY-SA 4.0, source